I don't think that Seattle will prove to be a one-off incident. I think it
is part of a pattern that has been emerging over the last few years.
Some examples:
The movement in favour of East Timorese independence in 1999.
The movement against the French nuclear tests in 1995.
and perhaps: The European (left) anti-EU movement.
The characteristics of these movements, that they share with Seattle, are
that they tend to cross a broad political spectrum, and international
boundaries, are hugely politically unclear, and, to some extent, are able
to be coopted by Imperialism. (The anti-EU movement may be an exception -
I don't know much about them.)
IMHO, they all represent some kind of primitive internationalism, and
perhaps an
embryonic stirring of working class consciousness.
Alan Bradley
alanb at elf.brisnet.org.au